The World's Bestselling Pizza Chain In 2026 Isn't Pizza Hut Or Papa Johns

Pizza lovers have a lot of choices when it comes to where they get a pie, whether that's a local spot or from a big brand. Globally, there seems to be a clear go-to chain of choice, and it's not Pizza Hut or Papa John's. The bestselling pizza chain in the world began life in 1960 with a single location in Michigan and now boasts 15,300 stores across the globe and more than 7,200 stateside, which also makes it the bestselling pizza chain in the U.S. It's Domino's Pizza, the company responsible for creating the pizza box as we know it, a box that helped forge this chain's reputation for fast delivery service.

While these other chains grapple over the number two spot, Domino's Pizza is building more stores and taking in more profits. A July 2026 earnings report showed Domino's revenue for the second quarter of 2026 was $1.19 billion, a 4.3% increase over the second quarter of 2025. In that same period the company saw a $4.7 million increase in net income and opened 223 stores outside the U.S. Pizza Hut, meanwhile, generated revenue of $254 million during that same period. Papa John's hasn't posted its 2026 Q2 report as of yet, but based on the recent past, the chain remains a distant fourth.  

Domino's Pizza's dominance over Pizza Hut and Papa John's has been ongoing. In 2024, Domino's saw U.S. sales of $9.5 billion compared to Pizza Hut's $5.29 billion and Papa John's $3.7 billion. Domino's has prided itself on being willing to embrace change when needed, whether that was its 2009 makeover of its original pizza recipe or the 2025 design revamp of its classic colors, related branding, and its menu boards. Now, outgoing Domino's CEO Russell Weiner, during an earnings call, teased a new signature menu item coming later this year that he believes will be a game changer. 

Still, Weiner believes the key to continued success is winning over customers and that with every transaction there's the potential for retaining those customers. "In the race for long-term dominance, our increase in order count during both the first and second quarters of this year highlights that more people are ordering Domino's than ever before," Weiner said during the earnings call (via QSR Magazine). Order count refers to the number of completed transactions in a given period of time. While the pizza business is in flux due to various factors including higher gas prices that are putting the squeeze on consumers' wallets, Domino's is shooting to remain on top.